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What is a Peel board student worth?
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In February 2010, Peel District School Board trustees brought school council members together to share information about the inequity in Ontario school board funding. In addition to learning how Peel board students are funded well below the provincial average, school council members were given tools to help achieve funding equity for students in the Peel board.
The provincial funding model puts the Peel board at a disadvantage. Currently, the Peel board is the fourth lowest funded board in the province on a per pupil basis. This means that Peel students receive less funding than students in most other boards in Ontario.
The Peel board receives $838 per pupil less than the provincial average, a gap that has nearly doubled since 2002. This works out to an erosion in funding of $379 per student and the value of change in the gap a whopping $52 million. The value of the gap itself is $117 million.
Last fall, the board began working with school councils and community partners to help make clear to the province that Peel students need fairer funding. The response was very positive and the board has seen some results. Notes Janet McDougald, Peel board chair, “The province has begun to use more recent census data, resulting in additional funding. However, they have chosen to phase in the new funding over four years and the board will not receive $18 million that our students deserve. The bottom line—it is unacceptable that our per pupil funding position in the province has not improved.”
Trustees are asking the Ministry of Education to:
- fund the actual high needs students the board serves in special education
- revisit the early years grant funding to reflect the board's preschool population
Trustees have met and expressed concerns over the issue—which has now become critical—with the ministry on several occasions. The following are some of the ways the Peel board has raised the issue of per pupil funding with the ministry and members of the Peel community.
Letters to the Ministry of Education
Letters to the Ministry of Education
Letter to The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education – Jan. 14, 2008
Letter to The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education – July 17, 2007
Letter to The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education – Nov. 24, 2006
Letter to The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education – Sept. 20, 2006
Letter to The Honourable Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Education – April 21, 2006
Letter to The Honourable Gerard Kennedy, Minister of Education – Jan. 24, 2006
Letter to The Honourable Gerard Kennedy, Minister of Education – Jan. 27, 2005
Speeches and presentations
Janet McDougald, Chair of the Board – Budget meeting remarks – June 2011– speech
Janet McDougald, Chair of the Board – Budget meeting remarks – June 2010 – speech
Janet McDougald, Chair of the Board – Budget meeting remarks – June 2009 – speech
Janet McDougald, Chair of the Board – Inaugural remarks – December 2009 – speech
Janet McDougald, Chair of the Board – School Council Information Evening – February 2010 – speech PowerPoint
Report to Board
Carla Kisko, Associate Director of Operational Support Services – Spring 2009
News releases
June 14, 2011
“Funding progressing well but with room for improvement,” says chair
June 22, 2010
“We need fairer funding for Peel students now,” says chair
February 16, 2010
Peel board brings funding message to school councils
June 10, 2009
Funding Peel board based on 'dramatically outdated' data is 'intolerable,' says chair
December 1, 2008
Peel board cannot continue to lose ground on per pupil funding, says board chair
June 17, 2008
Per-student funding in Peel board $1,000 below provincial average
June 12, 2007
Per-student funding in Peel is third-lowest in province
August 23, 2006
Each student in Peel 'shortchanged' $800, says Peel board chair
July 7, 2005
Peel board approves budget with $8.3 million transportation risk
June 24, 2004
Peel board approves balanced budget for 2004-05, concerns over under-funding remain
